


Back From the Grave

by PaulsLemons



Category: L.A. Noire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 16:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14524521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaulsLemons/pseuds/PaulsLemons
Summary: Everyone believes that Cole Phelps is dead. Of course, they had the funeral and all that. But little did they know, there was no body in the casket.Why? Because Cole Phelps survived.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hEY UH I ACTUALLY DIDNT HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO WRITE THIS SO SORRY IF ITS BAD
> 
> ALSO I REALIZED I DIDNT CHECK OFF THAT THIS HAS MULTIPLE CHAPTERS FML

My lungs were becoming filled with sewer water, my heart was beating right out of my chest, and there was a loud ringing in my ears.

I couldn't breathe. My body was enveloped in freezing sewer water. I had lost control of my body, and I knew what was going to happen.

I was going to die, and I'd die drowning. Thoughts rushed through my head.

I'd never solve cases or find clues or interrogate suspects ever again...never again would I see my sweet and beautiful Elsa...I'd never hear her sing or laugh...I wouldn't be there at The Blue Room, watching her perform, and listening to her beautiful singing.

I slowly closed my eyes, waiting for death.

Then, I lost consciousness, and blacked out.

\--

When I regained consciousness, I immediately coughed up water. The only thing I felt at that moment was warmth. Then, I could feel someone's arms wrapped around me. At first, I thought it was Elsa, and I was happy, but I soon came to realize that the hands that touched me were not hers, and I shivered and whimpered.

I heard a voice whisper, "It's okay, buddy."

The voice sounded a little familiar to me. "J...Jack..." I managed to say.

"Who's Jack?"

I didn't respond. I breathed, and slowly opened my eyes. I saw a man looking down at me. His blue eyes met mine. It spooked me some, but his eyes had a soft and gentle look, and he softly smiled.

He was probably in his late twenties or early thirties. His hair was dark and short, and he seemed like a very gentle and caring individual.

I coughed, trying to sit up. He gently pushed me back down. "Don't get up just yet. You should rest for a while." He told me.

That's what I did. I rested for a long time, and had ended up napping. Once I awoke, I was beginning to feel better, and I sat up and stretched. I watched as he entered the room with a mug full of coffee. He sat down in the chair that was across from the couch I sat on. He gently placed the mug down upon the table that separated us. I slowly picked it up, and sneezed, shivering slightly. "Thanks." I said as I took a sip.

"No problem."

I looked up at him. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" He parroted.

"Cole Phelps...I work for the LAPD...I'm a detective."

"I'm Harold Gray. How old are ya, Cole?"

"Twenty-seven. You?"

"Thirty-three."

I took another sip, sneezing afterward. I buried my nose in the blanket that covered me, shivering some.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asked.

"I guess I am..."

"What were you doing in the sewers?"

"Oh..." I hid my face in the blanket. "Ya see, I was solving a case and...well...it led me into the sewers. The water started rising...and I...I saved Jack's life...and I saved Elsa's life..."

"Wow, quite an adventure you had. May I ask, who's Jack? This is the second time you've said his name. Also, who's Elsa?"

"Jack...he's an...old friend of mine, and he hates my guts. We were in the war together. Elsa...oh, she's the love of my life." I smiled a little as I said her name. "She's beautiful..."

I looked back up at him, and he looked as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." He got up from the chair, and left the room, soon returning with a newspaper. He gave it to me, and sat back down in the chair. Before I looked at the newspaper, I set the mug down on the table, and then took a look at it. "I haven't read it yet, but I noticed your picture." said Harold. I froze as I saw it.

There was an article about me...and I was...dead? There was no way I was dead. I read the article, and apparently a possible cause of death was drowning. My body wasn't found, but a funeral was still held.

I slowly put the newspaper down on the table. I was thinking about going back out and finding Elsa, but everyone thought I was dead, and some people were probably happy that a dirty cop like me had died...mostly the citizens I was supposed to protect.

I couldn't go outside. My name was dogshit. My reputation had fallen, and everyone hated me. I had to hide myself away from everybody.

I'd never be able to see Elsa again.

I hid underneath the blanket.

"What's wrong?" Harold asked.

"What do you think? Everyone thinks I'm dead."

"I don't. You're sitting right in front of me."

"I didn't mean you, I meant everyone in LA."

"Oh...well, how about you go outside and show the world that Cole Phelps has returned from the grave?"

"I can't...I can't go outside..."

"Why not?"

"Everyone hates me out there. A couple months back, I committed adultery. I had a reputation of being the best detective in the LAPD, but after I committed that act, my reputation came crumbling down, and now everyone thinks I'm a dirty cop...they're all probably happy that I'm gone..."

"Who cares if you did that?"

"Apparently the entire city of LA does."

"You shouldn't worry about what people think about you. You should go outside."

"No...no one would want to see a dirty cop roaming the streets...especially when he's supposed to be dead." I pulled the blanket off of me.

Harold got up from the chair, and joined me on the couch. He wrapped his arm around me. "Listen, how about you disguise yourself? That way, people won't know it's you, and you'll blend right in."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"I know, come with me."

He took me to his bedroom, and he had me dress myself in different clothes. He gave me a scarf, and I put it on. It literally covered half of my face. I supposed it'd be alright.

"Are ya ready?" He asked.

I sighed, "I'm ready."


	2. Going Outside

“Harold?”

“Yeah?”

“How long had I been out?”

“Two days, maybe?”

“Only two days?”

“Mmhm.”

I grabbed the end of my scarf, tightening it around my face. I felt nervous being outside. People kept on staring me down, and I could overhear them talking about me, calling me a weirdo and a strange man. Maybe it was because I was wearing a scarf even though it wasn’t cold outside.

“Is there any way to tighten this damn thing so it’ll stop falling off my face?” I asked Harold.

“Sure.” He grabbed the end of the scarf, and pulled it as hard as he could, and I nearly choked. He finally let go of it.

“Is that better?”

“Sure, even though you almost choked me!”

“Sorry about that.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s alright...I guess...” I sighed, adjusting the scarf a little bit. I suddenly spotted a car driving by. The car...it looked familiar...it was...Rusty’s Nash Super 600!

I nearly cried out as I saw Stefan and Rusty inside the car. I couldn’t get to them, and they were right in front of me. I had the urge to run after their car, but I knew I couldn’t. All I wanted was to see them again...to talk to them...to hear their voices...but to them, I was dead.

Tears were rolling down my face as I watched them drive down the street, and turn a corner, disappearing from my sight.

“Hey, are you coming?” I heard Harold ask.

I quickly rubbed my eyes. “Yeah.”

We strolled around the city all day, and I was becoming more bored every minute. Until I noticed that The Blue Room was up ahead. Elsa!

I tugged on Harold’s sleeve. “What?” He asked.

“The Blue Room! We gotta go there! Puh-lease!” I gave him puppy dog eyes.

“Why, though? Do you want a drink or something?”

“No! Elsa’s there!”

“Oh uh...alright then.” I made my way down the sidewalk, and moments later, I stood in front of the building. The guy standing outside the building was giving me a weird look, but then he stopped once Harold approached, and he actually allowed us in.

I could feel my heart racing in my chest. I was going to see Elsa again.

I made my way to a table that was next to the stage, and sat down. Harold sat down across from me. “Ladies and gentlemen, here’s Elsa Lichtmann and her wonderful jazz quartet!”

Everyone clapped and cheered, and I did too.

My mind was wandering off. I was too busy thinking about her to even pay attention to what was going on around me. All I could do was stare at her.

She finally started to sing, and I loved every moment of it. She was singing some kind of romance song, and it was really calming.

I slowly got up from my seat, seemingly in a trance. Her singing was hypnotizing me. I approached the stage, and leaned on it, smiling underneath my scarf. She kept on singing, and she looked down at me. Our eyes met, and I couldn’t look away from her.

“Oh, baby...you make me so queasy,” she reached down and brushed her hand along my cheek. “but remember that I ain’t so easy...to get.” She stood back up, and sung even more. “Just because you buy me jewelry and all those pretty little things, doesn’t mean I belong to you, and that’s very true. I’ll have you know that I...don’t love you, but somebody else. Even if he isn’t here, to me he’s still very dear...and every night in bed I lie...knowing that I never said goodbye...”

My smile slowly went away as she stopped singing. I backed away from the stage. I could feel tears piling up in my eyes, and my heart had begun to ache.

I turned around and bolted out of there, exiting the building. I fell to my knees, and cried my eyes out.

I was so close...so close to her. The song was what got me, and how sad she sounded while singing it. It hurt my soul...it hurt everything.

She didn’t know that her lover was right in front of her, and she even touched him.

I couldn’t believe what was happening. I felt as if I were falling apart. I knew going outside was a bad idea. I knew going to The Blue Room was a bad idea.

“Hey, are you okay?” I heard Harold ask as he helped me up.

“I-I’m fine...” I sniffled as I wiped my eyes.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing!”

“Something is, don’t lie, Detective.”

“I miss her!” I grabbed his shirt, and buried my face into his chest, sobbing loudly. “I want to touch her, see her, feel her, hear her...everything! I was so fucking close! She didn’t even know that that was me...she didn’t even know she was touching me!”

He hugged me tight. “It’s okay, Cole...shh...”

“I just wanna see her...that’s all I want...” I whimpered.

“Then, why don’t you?”

“I...I can’t!”

“Jesus, Cole...”

That’s what I wanted: Elsa. I wanted her so badly. I missed her so much. I was so close to her, but my identity was hidden away, and she couldn’t recognize me.

What was I going to do?


End file.
